Transformations Enlarging the Network Portion of a Class or LP/Embedded Generalized Networks

This paper proposes transformations that substantially enlarge the relative network portion of a class of LP/embedded generalized network problems with a large number of side constraints. The general problem form, which arises in a variety of applications, is shown to be equivalent to a generalized network in one of its guises, or under additional restrictions, to a generalized network with a relatively small number of side variables. The results extend the range of problems that can be exploited by specialized network-related solution approaches, and motivate renewed attention to “side variable” problems, wbich so far gave received less coosideration than networks with side constraints.